Using Git for n8n Workflow Version Control: A Practical Approach

Using Git for n8n workflow version control is a professional practice for tracking changes, collaborating with a team, and safely recovering your automations when things go wrong. It involves connecting your n8n instance to a Git repository (like GitHub or GitLab) to save snapshots of your workflows, which are stored as JSON files. This can be achieved through n8n’s built-in Enterprise source control feature or by creating a manual backup workflow using the n8n API and Git node, making it accessible to all users.

The “Oh No” Moment: Why Version Control for n8n is a Game-Changer

Let’s be honest. We’ve all been there. You spend hours, maybe even days, crafting the perfect n8n workflow. It’s a beautiful, intricate machine that saves you a ton of time. Then, you decide to make one “tiny” improvement. You save your changes, and… poof. The entire thing breaks. You can’t remember exactly what you changed, and the auto-save has already overwritten your last good version. Panic sets in.

This exact scenario is why n8n workflow version control with Git isn’t just a nice-to-have; it’s an essential part of building robust and reliable automations. It’s the ultimate undo button. By treating your workflow’s underlying JSON code just like any other piece of software code, you gain:

• A Safety Net: Easily revert to any previous working version.
• Clear History: See exactly who changed what, when, and (if you write good commit messages) why.
• Collaboration: Allow multiple team members to work on workflows without stepping on each other’s toes.
• Structured Deployment: Create development, staging, and production environments to test changes safely before they go live.

So, how do you actually implement this? You have two main paths, depending on your n8n plan and technical comfort level.

The Official Route: n8n’s Built-in Source Control (Enterprise)

For businesses and teams running n8n on an Enterprise plan, you get a beautiful, integrated solution right out of the box. n8n’s source control feature is designed to make versioning seamless and tied directly into a professional development lifecycle.

How It Works

The concept is straightforward. You connect your n8n instance to a Git provider like GitHub, GitLab, or Bitbucket. From there, you can create different environments that correspond to different Git branches.

• Production Environment: This might be linked to your main or master branch. It’s the live, stable version of your workflows that are actively running.
• Development Environment: This could be linked to a develop branch. This is your sandbox, where you build new features and fix bugs without affecting live processes.

Once configured, you’ll see options within the n8n UI to push your changes from the canvas to the connected Git branch or pull updates from the repository into your n8n instance. It’s a clean, managed process that provides immense power, especially for teams.

(A small parenthetical aside: while this feature is fantastic, it is a key differentiator for the Enterprise plan. If you’re a solo developer or on a community plan, don’t worry—the next section is for you!)

The DIY Approach: A Git Backup Workflow for Everyone

What if you don’t have an Enterprise plan? Do you have to live in fear of breaking your workflows forever? Absolutely not! The n8n community, in its infinite cleverness, developed a solution long before the official feature existed. It involves creating a meta-workflow—that is, an n8n workflow that backs up your other n8n workflows.

This is my personal favorite method for smaller projects because it perfectly demonstrates the power of n8n itself.

Real-World Example: Building Your Automated Backup Workflow

Here’s a practical, step-by-step breakdown of how you can build this workflow. You’ll need credentials for the n8n API (your instance’s API key) and your Git provider.

1. Schedule Trigger: Start with a Schedule node. Set it to run on a schedule that makes sense for you—every hour is a good starting point for active development.
2. n8n API Node: Add an n8n node.
   • Resource: Workflow
   • Operation: Get All
   • This will fetch a list of all workflows on your instance, including their ID, name, and last-updated time.
3. Loop Over Items Node: You need to process each workflow individually. Add a Loop Over Items node (formerly Split in Batches) and leave the batch size at 1. This ensures the rest of the workflow runs once for every workflow returned by the API.
4. n8n API Node (Again): Inside the loop, you need to get the full JSON for the current workflow. Add another n8n node.
   • Resource: Workflow
   • Operation: Get
   • For the Workflow ID, use an expression to grab the ID from the loop: {{ $json.id }}.
5. Git Node: This is where the magic happens. Add a Git node. You’ll first need to configure your Git credentials. The node will clone your repository into a local directory within n8n.
   • Step 1: Write File. Select the File operation and Write sub-operation. For the File Path, use an expression to create a unique file name, like workflows/{{ $json.name.replace(" / ", "_") }}.json. For the Content, use the expression {{ JSON.stringify($('n8n1').item.json.data, null, 2) }}. This takes the workflow data and formats it as pretty JSON.
   • Step 2: Push. Add another operation to the same Git node. Select the Repository operation and Push sub-operation. For the Commit Message, write something descriptive, like Automated backup for workflow: {{ $json.name }}.

And that’s it! Now, every hour, this workflow will automatically save the latest version of every single one of your workflows to your Git repository. If you ever need to restore one, you just navigate to the file in GitHub, copy the JSON content, and import it back into n8n.

Choosing Your Path: A Quick Comparison

Not sure which method to use? This should help you decide.

Ultimately, the goal is the same: to protect your hard work. Adopting n8n workflow version control with Git is a major step up in your automation journey. It shifts your mindset from just building automations to engineering them for resilience and scalability. Whether you use the polished Enterprise tools or the clever DIY approach, you’ll be building with more confidence than ever before.